My favorite kind of heroine is many things. She’s sassy, smart,
strong and gets the job done. Like Jessie in my historical novel (written under
Susan Edwards), White Wolf. She’s been told she can’t travel with her brothers
to Oregon because the wagon master has a no women rule. Now Jessie will not
allow anyone to split her family up. She devises a way to go and gives the
wagon master grief all the way. She has Spirit.
In White Nights, Eirica has just lost her abusive husband. She has
three young children and is pregnant with her fourth. Does she fall apart and
let everyone take care of her? No, she’s a strong woman determined to make a new
life for her and her children. She too has Spirit.
In Cinderella & Prince Dom, Jaimie has every reason to be
bitter and to feel sorry for herself. She was accused of embezzling and fired
after she blew the whistle. She’s innocent but she doesn’t wail and ask, ‘Why
me’. She moves on. She too, has Spirit.
Lucy in Red & Her Big Bad Dom is full of sass. Her Spirit
shines. Not only that, but she is one smart cookie and very strong in her
personality. When she tells our poor hero no, she means no. She has these
rules, her code to live by, and no matter how much she’s attracted to poor
Graham, rules are rules. She’s got strength, maybe a bit misplaced but hey,
that’s what makes Lucy such a fun and sassy heroine. And in the end, her Spirit
allows her to see the humor and find a way to ditch those rules that no longer
apply.
Ah, there’s another ‘S’ word theme. Spirit. I like women with
Spirit. When things get tough, they get tougher. Of course, these are fictional
women. I wrote them that way. So let’s talk about women in my life who have
Spirit.
My mother came to live with me in 2003. Diagnosed with Lung Cancer,
stage four, she had only six months or so to live. It’s now 2014 and I’m
grateful to say, she’s still with me. How did she do it? Was she sassy or
smart? No to sassy or even smart. My mother simply ignored it. She did the
chemo, ate whatever I fixed her, never complained, and didn’t wallow in
self-pity. She kept to her routine of reading, cross-stitch and crossword
puzzles and TV shows. In short, her Spirit prevailed. She didn’t allow cancer
to get in the way of living. Only 2% make it to five years and it’s been nearly
twelve years. Her Spirit amazes me.
My daughter has the sass, smarts, and is very strong. She put
herself through vet school, starting later than most students do. She went
through a divorce during this time. She struggled with many of the things life
tosses at us, but kept her Spirit and her humor throughout the tough years. I
admire her very much and still she struggles as a new vet and her Spirit keeps
her strong.
I have a friend whose husband has MS and is wheelchair bound. He’s
been bed-ridden for the better part of this year which affects them both. As
I’m going with heroines, she has certainly been strong. Her freedom has been
cut short, as she is his caregiver. Does she have Spirit? You bet. She tries to
find things for her—having someone come in to allow her to get out several
times a week so she takes care of herself—lunch with a friend, a massage, a
visit to the yarn shop, etc. She’s incredibly strong and smart to take care of
herself by feeding her mind, body, soul and yes, Spirit.
A true heroine is someone who deals with the stress of life. Maybe
it’s something major like an illness or divorce, or sick children, or deadlines
that pile up. A true heroine deals. Plain and simple. Yeah, we all whine or
complain at times but what makes a heroine is someone who pulls up her big girl
panties and does what she needs to do. She doesn’t talk about what she wants or
needs or waits for someone to save her day. She rolls up those sleeves and
takes charge. She deals with life with sass and humor; she’s strong yet gentle
and compassionate.
She’s smart. Not just book smart but street smart. She has common
sense and can deal with life’s ups and downs in a manner that is positive and
productive.
Most of all, my kind of heroine has Spirit. She loves life, the
good, and bad. She’s willing to make changes, take charge, and meet life
head-on. She’s someone we can all admire. And strive to become.
If you look into your own life, what do you see? Look in the mirror
and I’m willing to bet there is a woman (or man) who has Spirit. Each of us is
a hero/heroine to someone in our lives. So the next time life gets tough, think
about that thing called Spirit, and know that you’ll prevail. Hero and Heroines
in books always do so let’s take a page out of their books and be sassy, smart,
and strong. Let our Spirits shine.
Jaimie Newberry is jobless, her rent is due, and her cat just died. On top of that, she was accused of embezzling before she was fired. When her friend invites her for a weekend of kinky fairytale role playing, she agrees to go as Cinderella. What has she got to lose when sex with a handsome prince is involved?
CEO Bryce Langston needs to know if Jamie is innocent of embezzlement or just very clever. He arranges for her to be his weekend sub but soon realizes the pretty scullery maid is naïve to the BDSM lifestyle. As her prince and her Dom, he intends to not only learn the truth but to make sure she has a fantasy come true.
Excerpt:
“What are you thinking?”
Flushing at his question, which sounded more like a demand, Jaimie wrinkled her nose. “I’m thinking that you have a very fine ass.”
He lifted a brow. “Eager to begin?”
When nervous or excited, Jaimie’s lips twitched on her left side, which made her a horrible poker player. Her lips were twitching now. “I’ve never—”
“I know,” he interrupted. “Let’s get back to business.” He flicked his wrist, and an envelope landed neatly on the table in front of her.
A bit put out by his abruptness, Jaimie lifted a brow but reached for the envelope. She eyed her partner warily.
“That is the result of my blood work, assuring you of my clean bill of health. I’ve seen yours.”
Jaimie scanned the single sheet of paper, noting that the name had been blacked out. She set it down. “Okay, what now?”
“Let’s talk about your sex life. I read the questionnaire you filled out and understand you’re game for a bit of light BDSM.”
“What?” The spit in Jaimie’s mouth dried. “What do you mean by light BDSM?” She was going to kill Lucy. She’d assumed many of the men and women she’d seen earlier were into some kinky stuff, but there’d been others wearing normal costumes. Like her.
“Dominant and submissive role playing.”
“Roles? As in I’m Cinderella and you’re the Prince?”
His lips curved in amusement. “Not quite. I am a Dominant who requires a submissive. I am your Dom and you are my sub. Those are our roles for the weekend.”
Jaimie stood. Yep. Her friend deserved a slow, torturous death. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not into kinky sex or pain. I agreed to a weekend of free food, being waited on, and having sex with my prince charming.”
BIO
Sydney loves writing and sharing stories of love, happiness and dreams come true with her readers. She credits her mother for her writing as she was encouraged to read as a child and preferred happy endings which meant romances were her favorite genre. When the writing bug bit, she followed the sensible advice to “write what you know” and has been writing and publishing her stories since!
Sydney takes her readers into the world of erotica romance where her characters come together in explosive passion as they solve life's problems and find true love along with the best sex our hero and heroine have ever experienced.
When not writing, she enjoys crafts of all. Knitting and crochet are her current passions. She and her husband of 30 + years are avid gardeners. He takes care of the veggies, and Susan is in charge of the 'pretties'. Her medicine wheel garden is in a contact state of war: flowers vs. weeds. Sadly, right now the weeds are wining...
While writing, she listens to a wide variety of music, including Neil Diamond, Celtic, Native American, New Age, Classical, and mood music (bagpipes and howling wolves drive my family nuts). Her current favorites are Blackmore's Night and David Lanz.
Trailer: http://youtu.be/v3w5k5XvkLw
Email: Sydney@sydneystclaire.com
Website: http://sydneystclaire.com
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydneystclaire
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Wild Rose Press: http://wilderroses.com
Buy links
Wild Rose Press (Amazon and Nook link avail)
Contest: Once Upon a Dom Tote Bag and goodies (mug, flash drive & more). See pictures of prizes and details here
Red &
Her Big Bad Dom available Oct 31
Wealthy
computer genius Graham Winters is in love with a woman who won’t join him for a
stingy cup of coffee. How can he prove he’s nothing like her jerk of an ex if
she won’t give him a chance? Then he spots her at a BDSM club and devises a
plan. During the day, he’s “that damn geek.” At night, he’s the masked Dom
known as The Wolf.
When it
comes to her love life, Lucy Sanchez has one rule—no geeks. Not even rich, good
looking geeks. She’s attracted to Graham but rules are rules. Besides, she has
her wolf, the mysterious Dom who makes her blood sing. Then she’s invited to a
fairytale event at Pleasure Manor and this Little Red Riding Hood plans to
enjoy every delicious moment with her big, bad Dom.
Excellent post - thanks for the examples and best wishes to you and all the Spirited Women in your life. Takes one to know one - and to write the characters!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ashantay.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for being with us here today, Sydney. I loved your post. Your mom sounds like a strong, wonderful lady. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting and being so supportive of youjr fellow authors! We all appreciate your hard work!
ReplyDeleteLet's see if this posts today... Third time!